


Beauty is terror

by Cirilla9



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M, Ost-in-Edhil, Possibly Pre-Slash, Pre-Lord of The Rings, Second Age, historically inaccurate inventions, sauron being creepy, science as a foreplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 01:15:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12545532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cirilla9/pseuds/Cirilla9
Summary: Annatar invents something, shows it to Tyelpe.For day 5 of TTW: beauty is terror.





	Beauty is terror

**Author's Note:**

> Science development demands some moral sacrifices and creepy medical experiments. Sauron doesn't have a problem with that. Tyelpe is not that convinced.

\- Come, Tyelpe, I wish to show you something!

Annatar, always cold and composed, rarely showed such an excitement so Celebrimbor followed him readily, curious to what caused such a change in his friend’s attitude. He could feel the aura of joy around the blonde; the enthusiasm nearly poured from him and soon it  became contagious.

\- Annatar, what it is?

\- I invented something.

\- I didn’t even know you were working on some new project! What is this invention?

\- You’ll see, - Annatar only smiled a little.

He categorically refused to tell Celebrimbor anything more about it, which fanned the flames of Tyelpe’s curiosity even more. As they reached the door to Annatar’s study, Celebrimbor was dying from unsatisfied thirst of knowledge. He held a breath when the doors were opened.

Inside, on the table, stood a device Celebrimbor saw for the first time in his life. It was no bigger than his forearm, a long tube on a square support. Upon closer examination it resembled a lunette like one of these Númenóreans were using, only put upside done, with the wider glass toward the viewer. Under the narrower end laid the transparent tile with some substance smeared on it.

Celebrimbor looked questioningly at Annatar.

\- What is it?

\- I haven’t called it yet but it allows to see very tiny elements of universe. I was unaware how much delicate structure is in everything around us and sometimes even living things! But look for yourself, - he encouraged.

Tyelpe leaned over the device, looking into the bigger glass.

\- Turn your head a little, you’re obscuring the light, - murmured Annatar’s voice very close to him, - if I may, Tyelpe, - a hand on his chin directed his face, - just like that.

The blurred picture Celebrimbor saw failed his expectations a bit.

\- I can’t see anything.

Annatar was already leaning close behind him, pressing to his back. Maia’s hand grabbed his and guided it to the knob on the device’s side.

\- Here you can regulate the acuity, - whispered the silk voice at his ear.

Tyelpe, heart beating faster – from the science development he held in his hands, he told himself, not from the Maia glued to his back – did so and the image cleared, showing him liquid with some tiny insects inside it. They didn’t resemble any creature he had ever seen but they moved nonetheless and seemed very much alive. Celebrimbor let out a soft cry of surprise.

\- What are these? How did you get these?

Annatar sounded pleased with his reaction.

\- I don’t know what they are yet but what are you looking at, my lord, is just the old water from the flower vase.

Annatar crossed the room, taking up the said container with a handful of plants in it.

\- Pure water from the city system doesn’t have them inside.

\- Are you saying they came from plants? – frowned Tyelpe.

\- No! That was my first thought as well but I checked the petals and leaves and fragments of stalk, there lay the examples, you can watch it yourself – and they don’t have any living organisms on or inside them. Stunning structure, Yavanna did some exquisite work but they don’t live their own life anymore after we cut them.

\- So from where these… animals are? They can’t came from nowhere!

Celebrimbor was standing opposite his friend now, engaged in an academic discussion to no end.

\- Can’t they? – said Annatar contemplatively. – They weren’t living in the water originally, they don’t come from plants, nobody put them there too. If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth. Would that not be marvelous, Tyelpe? A life from nothing; a life in entropy, evolving from chaos and rottenness, from the very things the Valar cast out in their haughty pose of pretended wisdom.

\- These words sound strange coming from Valar’s envoy, - noticed Celebrimbor contrariwise.

Annatar waived an impatient hand on him but turned slightly, casually away and Celebrimbor couldn’t see his face anymore: these perfect features lit up in enjoyment. After a second Annatar looked at him again, changing the topic.

\- Shall we try with blood?

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours, many samples and scientific discussions later, Tyelpe straightened from Annatar’s invention, feeling the beginning of pain in the tensed muscles of his back. He wasn’t planning to go away because of such a petty reason however, there were still so many things to study under the glass.

A white curtain hung on the wall fluttered at the breeze, catching Tyelpe’s sight. Driven by a feeling, he went there. Annatar’s sharp eyes followed him but the Maia didn’t make any gesture to stop him.

\- What’s in there? – asked Celebrimbor.

\- My research room.

Tyelpe pushed the curtain aside and stepped in. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks.

Various remnants of animals, cut open, with their eyeballs plucked out, were bad enough. But the utter horror laid in the middle of the room, on the plain wooden table. It was a human corpse. Easterling, judging by body built, though it was hard to judge for sure as the skin of the face was removed and where eyes should have been, only two gaping holes remained. From one empty eye socket a bundle of nerves still stuck out. Celebrimbor felt sick.

\- Something wrong? – asked the silk voice too close behind him, usually so comforting but now Celebrimbor shuddered at the sound of it.

\- Something wrong? – he repeated in a too high voice. – You ask if- How you even- This! – he hissed, pointing a trembling finger on the body in front of them. – This is wrong!

Annatar looked at the corpse uninterestingly, like someone who get everything he wanted from the object of his studies and it wasn’t absorbing anymore. Then back at Tyelpe’s aghast face.

\- I didn’t kill him, - offered Annatar to placate the elf. – He was a thief, caught and hanged by his own people. I made the deal with the hangman to deliver me the bodies.

\- How can you talk about it so peacefully?! He should be buried in the ground or burned on funeral pyre, whatever the customs of his people are. He paid for his crimes with his life, he shouldn’t be disrespected after his death like this. This is hideous!

\- Do you really think it has any meaning for him now what we do with his body? He’s gone.

\- He left to the place which Eru designed for mortals after their death, - Celebrimbor ignored Annatar rolling his eyes and went on, - but his body is still Eru’s creation and it should be treated with respect because of that. It is up to us, who still walk upon Arda to give him the last rites.

Annatar sighed.

\- Tyelpe, how do you expect me to work properly if I don’t have the required research material? For my newest invention, for example, I needed to learn closely how the eyesight works in order to be able to strengthen its perception, overcome its limitations. Besides, do you really think this insults his dignity so much? He’s a rat from the bottom of his society, he disrespected himself enough in his short life; this, - Annatar indicated the corpse, - is probably the greatest thing he commemorates to. I’ve given him a chance to improve the science… even if it is after his death.

Celebrimbor looked at him unconvinced for a long while.

\- Promise me, - he said finally, - that every time you’re done with your… procedure, you’ll bury them with basic respect any human being deserves.

Annatar crossed his arms, looked at him askance.

\- Fine, - he said at last.

**Author's Note:**

> The invention was microscope and they watched paramecium if that was unclear in the text above ;)


End file.
